Canoe Sprint

Canoe Sprint is one of the best-known competitive canoeing disciplines in Australia. The sport made its debut at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games and Australia has been involved ever since the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.

Sprint Racing is a test of speed over flatwater distances of 200m, 500m and 1000m. The craft used to race are narrow and fast, which often means they are very unstable. Sprint kayakers use a ‘wing-blade’ paddle to produce more power and increase efficiency.

K1, K2 and K4 are the most popular categories within sprint, but there are also the canoe classes C1 and C2. Age classes range from guppies (U12), through juniors and seniors, all the way to masters.

Watch the videos below to see sprint kayaking in action!